Navigating Emergencies on the Road: Your Ultimate Guide to Stay Safe While Driving
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In an emergency, do you know what to do?
Driving is an essential part of our daily lives, but emergencies on the road can happen unexpectedly and pose serious risks. From a sudden car breakdown to a tyre blowout or a medical emergency, knowing how to handle different situations while driving can make all the difference in ensuring your safety and that of your passengers.
In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on handling and surviving seven different emergencies while driving. Whether you're a seasoned driver or a little out of practice, these practical tips and strategies will help you stay calm, take appropriate action, and navigate through unexpected challenges, ensuring you are prepared for whatever comes your way on the road. Read on to equip yourself with the knowledge and confidence to handle emergencies like a pro!
Here are the seven unexpected car emergencies you need to know how to handle.
Vehicle submersions into water account for up to 10 per cent of all drownings in Australia.
Since 2001, approximately 45 per cent of all flood fatalities in Australia are attributed to people entering floodwater in motor vehicles.
Dr Gordon Giesbrecht is an authority on vehicle submersion and how to escape from a vehicle in water.
Based on these detailed studies, here are the steps you'll need to take if you're ever in a sinking car:
Turn off the engine, and unlock all car doors. Unclip and get out of your seatbelt as quickly as possible. Try to lower the front side window. Electric windows may still work for 15-60 seconds. If it doesn't open, move to the rear seat.
Press your feet against a rear side window and kick hard until it breaks. Escape through the broken window.
If you have a glass hammer, you can use this to break the car window instead. Otherwise, you might be able to improvise and use a sharp object like a metal screwdriver.
Car rollovers are one of the most dangerous vehicle incidents you can experience on the road, and given their often quick and unexpected occurrences, they can lead to some devastating and even fatal consequences.
Of course, prevention is much better than cure.
Thankfully, modern vehicle safety technologies such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Roll Stability systems are helping reduce the incidence of rollovers.
Seatbelts and airbags remain some of the most trusted passive safety features that can help reduce the severity of these vehicle-related injuries.
But what do you do if your car is at risk of rolling, and what steps can you take to minimise the damage while it's occurring? According to experts and engineers, here's how to survive a car rollover.
If you feel your car's wheels lift up on one side, don't immediately spin the wheel and turn in the opposite direction. This will only magnify the problem and make the car more likely to flip.
Instead, turn your steering wheel in the same direction as the tilt (not the opposite direction) to stabilise the vehicle.
If you can feel that the car is going to flip, it's time to brace for impact. Follow these steps to stay as safe as possible should a rollover occur:
1. Immediately fold your arms across your chest and hold either shoulder with each hand.
2. Tilt your head down.
3. Turn off the engine once the car is still.
4. Carefully climb out of a window if necessary.
5. Help anyone else out of the car and to safety.
6. Once everyone is out and safe, call for help.
It can be very frightening to think about, but picture this: you’re in the car with an unwell driver and all of a sudden, they start to lose consciousness. The car is still moving. What do you do in this situation?
It’s important to remember that staying calm is the best action here. Panic only makes matters worse and won’t help out in any way.
Situations like this can be triggered by several different factors – diabetes, epilepsy, heart attack or stroke, hot weather, or abuse of alcohol or other substances.
If you’re in the car when someone else is driving and they start to look unwell, insist they pull over as soon as it’s safe to do so. Once stopped, tell them to switch places with you so you can take over the wheel. That being said, keep your seatbelt on at all times while in motion for your own safety.
Once the vehicle is pulled over, the first thing is to manoeuvre the car into neutral. But if the driver passes out before you can take control of the car, put the transmission in neutral.
Shifting the gear into N (Neutral) is sufficient in automatic cars. If it’s a manual, you’ll need to take the gear stick out of gear.
Once it’s in neutral, turn on the hazard lights and allow the car to come to a complete stop. Don't reach over and switch off the ignition; this will shut off power steering and make the brakes ineffective.
Once you’re sure the car is no longer moving, you can switch off the ignition and call emergency services.
It’s fair to say that most of us depend on the brakes in our vehicles to do their job correctly and keep us safe while we’re on the road.
But what happens if the unthinkable occurs and your brakes fail?
Fortunately, in most modern vehicles, this isn’t something you’ll have to worry about due to the reliability of the braking system. However, it is still important to be aware of the potential risks.
Brakes can fail for many reasons. It’s essential to know what to do in such a situation to ensure the driver's and passengers' safety.
If you attempt to apply the brakes and nothing happens, press down on the brake pedal again as hard as you can. Don’t panic, and, most importantly, don’t switch off the ignition or put the car into neutral, as this could mean losing control over the vehicle.
Warning others is also essential, so switch on your hazard lights to alert other traffic that you’re in an emergency.
The best action is to shift the transmission into a lower gear and use engine braking to slow the car down. This may be done with a manual or automatic transmission; however, some cars may not allow a lower gear to be selected until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Unsure how to engine brake with an automatic transmission? Simply shift your automatic transmission into a lower gear. Typically, you will have the choice of ‘D’,’3′,’2′ and ‘1’ or something similar.
According to automatic transmission experts Rowell & Searle, ‘By shifting into one of the numbered gears (i.e. from ‘D’ down to ‘3’, the car will stay in a higher gear without downshifting. This will rev the engine higher, and it will slow the car down.’
Be aware that engaging the handbrake could cause your car to spin out of control. If your car has an electric handbrake, attempting to apply it at speed will most often result in it being automatically disengaged.
Once you’ve slowed the car through engine-braking, try to move over to the shoulder of the road as soon as it is safe to do so and out of the way of other traffic and call for assistance.
It is essential to have your car serviced regularly so vital safety components, such as the brakes, can be checked and repaired.
A splash of rain and a little bit of water on the road, and you’re good to go, right? Not necessarily – if your tyres are not up to scratch, you could fall victim to one of the most terrifying car-related situations: aquaplaning.
Aquaplaning – or hydroplaning – is where your car’s tyres lose their grip on the road, leaving you in a potentially dangerous and out of control.
It’s that nightmare scenario – you’re behind the wheel, it’s wet, the roads are slippery, and suddenly you feel the car float away from the road surface, and it’s like you’re skiing across an icy surface.
The best way to avoid this is to be prepared and armed with the knowledge of what to do if it does happen. Here, we’ve gathered knowledge from our experts to arm you with the information you need to stay safe.
What causes aquaplaning?
Aquaplaning occurs when the tyres on your car lose their grip on the road and begin ‘floating’ on a thin layer of water. It happens when you travel at speed in the wet, and your car’s tyres are not up to scratch.
The grooves in your car’s tyres are designed to remove water as you travel and maintain grip on the road. When the grooves in the tyres are too worn – or there is simply too much water on the road, and you’re travelling too fast – your tyres can’t clear it as quickly, and the water builds up, causing the tyres to ‘float’ on the surface.
How do I stay safe?
The most important thing you can do to keep yourself safe is to slow down and make sure your tyres have plenty of tread on them. In Australia, the minimum tread depth is 1.5mm, but it’s highly recommended you don’t allow them to wear any lower than 3mm. You should also maintain the correct tyre pressure.
If aquaplaning does occur, stay in control and take caution to avoid braking too hard. Don’t panic and take your foot off the accelerator and keep steering in the direction you were already heading.
Most cars now have antilock brakes (ABS), enabling you to apply pressure to reduce speed slowly. Remember: don’t brake suddenly – do it gradually.
Your tyres will regain their grip on the road as your car slows.
There’s nothing quite like the sudden jolt of a car tyre blowout – suddenly, you’ve lost control and don’t know what to do.
What does a car tyre blowout feel like?
A tyre blowout is much worse than a puncture – it’s more like a small explosion hitting you while you’re driving. When one of your front tyres blows out, it will cause the car to suddenly pull towards the side where the tyre has blown. With a rear-tyre blow-out, the car will sway uncontrollably from side to side.
Stay calm, be aware and ‘get a grip’.
Although your instinct will tell you to brake suddenly, you must avoid doing this at all costs. This can cause you to lose control of your car. To keep it under control, you need to slow down by easing your foot off the accelerator and gradually applying your brake. Keep a firm grip on the steering wheel, keeping the car heading straight ahead.
When you’ve reached a low speed, switch on your hazard lights and look for a safe place to pull over. Once safely stopped, don’t attempt to drive the car any further. Call for help if you need assistance getting the spare tyre on, or if you’re changing it yourself, make sure you’re well clear of any passing traffic.
What causes car tyre blowouts?
Underinflated tyres can cause excessive flexing in the sidewalls due to the lack of pressure keeping the tyre in shape. The constant flexing creates excessive friction and heat, which can weaken your tyre. Heat build-up inside a tyre can be exacerbated in hot weather. Even at a low air temperature, underinflated tyres are a major hazard on the road.
Also, when your car is under a heavier load than usual while travelling at a higher speed, it increases your chance of a blowout. Therefore, it’s essential to check the pressure and inspect the condition of your tyres before you set off with an extra load.
Look for cracks and bulges, and make sure there is adequate tyre tread. Also, hitting a kerb or pothole at a relatively high speed can cause an instant blow-out or inflict damage that can catch up with you later.
Age is also a factor! Even when a tyre looks good, the rubber deteriorates and weakens with age, making them unsafe and a blow-out more likely. Therefore, regardless of how much you drive on them, tyres should be changed approximately every five to seven years, even when there is still good tread left.
Driving around the stunning Australian landscape can be lots of fun. But there’s also an element of danger, as collisions with animals can be a risk when enjoying the roads.
From wild roos to livestock, an animal collision can occur almost anywhere. At higher speeds and on country roads, the force of the impact can be immense, leaving vehicle occupants vulnerable to devastating consequences.
How to spot a potential collision
To help avoid animal collisions, look out for the road signs warning that animals might be crossing roads in the area - and slow down in those areas where possible.
Animals tend to become more active at dawn and dusk, so it pays to be extra vigilant. And look out for roadside areas that may collect water, as these can attract animals.
You can also keep your headlights on high beam when there are no other cars around, as this will allow you to see reflections from animals’ eyes illuminated by the headlights.
What to do if a collision is unavoidable
If you see an animal on or by the side of the road, don’t swerve to avoid it. This can cause your car to roll over or crash into another vehicle or object, such as a tree, leading to life-threatening danger.
Instead, brake gradually and apply the brakes firmly but in a way that allows you to stay in control of the vehicle. If you stay on course, there’s a chance the animal will move out of your way before you hit it.
Remember, all animals on or near roads will act unpredictably, so don’t make any guesses.
After you’ve slowed down to a safe speed, put your hazard lights on and pull over well out of the way of any other vehicles.
Check on others in the car, assess the damage to the car and call for help. Don’t stand on or cross a road to check on an animal; doing this will put you in danger of being hit by another vehicle. An injured animal in a distressed state can also be a danger. To get help for the injured animal, call your local emergency vet or wildlife rescue.
Emergencies on the road can be daunting, but with the proper knowledge and preparation, you can confidently handle and survive them. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, you can be better equipped to handle car breakdowns, tyre blowouts, medical emergencies, and other unexpected situations while driving.
Remember to stay calm, assess the situation, and take appropriate action, prioritising your safety and that of your passengers. Additionally, regularly maintaining your vehicle, carrying essential tools and supplies, and knowing how to use them can go a long way in ensuring your preparedness on the road. By being proactive and prepared, you can confidently face any emergency while driving and keep yourself and others safe.
Drive safely, stay vigilant, and be prepared for the unexpected!
Did you already know what to do in these emergencies? Are there any situations we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Driving is an essential part of our daily lives, but emergencies on the road can happen unexpectedly and pose serious risks. From a sudden car breakdown to a tyre blowout or a medical emergency, knowing how to handle different situations while driving can make all the difference in ensuring your safety and that of your passengers.
In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on handling and surviving seven different emergencies while driving. Whether you're a seasoned driver or a little out of practice, these practical tips and strategies will help you stay calm, take appropriate action, and navigate through unexpected challenges, ensuring you are prepared for whatever comes your way on the road. Read on to equip yourself with the knowledge and confidence to handle emergencies like a pro!
Here are the seven unexpected car emergencies you need to know how to handle.
Don’t be caught unawares. Credit: Shutterstock
- Car submersion
Vehicle submersions into water account for up to 10 per cent of all drownings in Australia.
Since 2001, approximately 45 per cent of all flood fatalities in Australia are attributed to people entering floodwater in motor vehicles.
Dr Gordon Giesbrecht is an authority on vehicle submersion and how to escape from a vehicle in water.
Based on these detailed studies, here are the steps you'll need to take if you're ever in a sinking car:
Turn off the engine, and unlock all car doors. Unclip and get out of your seatbelt as quickly as possible. Try to lower the front side window. Electric windows may still work for 15-60 seconds. If it doesn't open, move to the rear seat.
Press your feet against a rear side window and kick hard until it breaks. Escape through the broken window.
If you have a glass hammer, you can use this to break the car window instead. Otherwise, you might be able to improvise and use a sharp object like a metal screwdriver.
- The car rolls over
Car rollovers are one of the most dangerous vehicle incidents you can experience on the road, and given their often quick and unexpected occurrences, they can lead to some devastating and even fatal consequences.
Of course, prevention is much better than cure.
Thankfully, modern vehicle safety technologies such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Roll Stability systems are helping reduce the incidence of rollovers.
Seatbelts and airbags remain some of the most trusted passive safety features that can help reduce the severity of these vehicle-related injuries.
But what do you do if your car is at risk of rolling, and what steps can you take to minimise the damage while it's occurring? According to experts and engineers, here's how to survive a car rollover.
If you feel your car's wheels lift up on one side, don't immediately spin the wheel and turn in the opposite direction. This will only magnify the problem and make the car more likely to flip.
Instead, turn your steering wheel in the same direction as the tilt (not the opposite direction) to stabilise the vehicle.
If you can feel that the car is going to flip, it's time to brace for impact. Follow these steps to stay as safe as possible should a rollover occur:
1. Immediately fold your arms across your chest and hold either shoulder with each hand.
2. Tilt your head down.
3. Turn off the engine once the car is still.
4. Carefully climb out of a window if necessary.
5. Help anyone else out of the car and to safety.
6. Once everyone is out and safe, call for help.
- The driver loses consciousness
It can be very frightening to think about, but picture this: you’re in the car with an unwell driver and all of a sudden, they start to lose consciousness. The car is still moving. What do you do in this situation?
It’s important to remember that staying calm is the best action here. Panic only makes matters worse and won’t help out in any way.
Situations like this can be triggered by several different factors – diabetes, epilepsy, heart attack or stroke, hot weather, or abuse of alcohol or other substances.
If you’re in the car when someone else is driving and they start to look unwell, insist they pull over as soon as it’s safe to do so. Once stopped, tell them to switch places with you so you can take over the wheel. That being said, keep your seatbelt on at all times while in motion for your own safety.
Once the vehicle is pulled over, the first thing is to manoeuvre the car into neutral. But if the driver passes out before you can take control of the car, put the transmission in neutral.
Shifting the gear into N (Neutral) is sufficient in automatic cars. If it’s a manual, you’ll need to take the gear stick out of gear.
Once it’s in neutral, turn on the hazard lights and allow the car to come to a complete stop. Don't reach over and switch off the ignition; this will shut off power steering and make the brakes ineffective.
Once you’re sure the car is no longer moving, you can switch off the ignition and call emergency services.
- The car's brakes fail
It’s fair to say that most of us depend on the brakes in our vehicles to do their job correctly and keep us safe while we’re on the road.
But what happens if the unthinkable occurs and your brakes fail?
Fortunately, in most modern vehicles, this isn’t something you’ll have to worry about due to the reliability of the braking system. However, it is still important to be aware of the potential risks.
Brakes can fail for many reasons. It’s essential to know what to do in such a situation to ensure the driver's and passengers' safety.
If you attempt to apply the brakes and nothing happens, press down on the brake pedal again as hard as you can. Don’t panic, and, most importantly, don’t switch off the ignition or put the car into neutral, as this could mean losing control over the vehicle.
Warning others is also essential, so switch on your hazard lights to alert other traffic that you’re in an emergency.
The best action is to shift the transmission into a lower gear and use engine braking to slow the car down. This may be done with a manual or automatic transmission; however, some cars may not allow a lower gear to be selected until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Unsure how to engine brake with an automatic transmission? Simply shift your automatic transmission into a lower gear. Typically, you will have the choice of ‘D’,’3′,’2′ and ‘1’ or something similar.
According to automatic transmission experts Rowell & Searle, ‘By shifting into one of the numbered gears (i.e. from ‘D’ down to ‘3’, the car will stay in a higher gear without downshifting. This will rev the engine higher, and it will slow the car down.’
Be aware that engaging the handbrake could cause your car to spin out of control. If your car has an electric handbrake, attempting to apply it at speed will most often result in it being automatically disengaged.
Once you’ve slowed the car through engine-braking, try to move over to the shoulder of the road as soon as it is safe to do so and out of the way of other traffic and call for assistance.
It is essential to have your car serviced regularly so vital safety components, such as the brakes, can be checked and repaired.
- The car starts aquaplaning
A splash of rain and a little bit of water on the road, and you’re good to go, right? Not necessarily – if your tyres are not up to scratch, you could fall victim to one of the most terrifying car-related situations: aquaplaning.
Aquaplaning – or hydroplaning – is where your car’s tyres lose their grip on the road, leaving you in a potentially dangerous and out of control.
It’s that nightmare scenario – you’re behind the wheel, it’s wet, the roads are slippery, and suddenly you feel the car float away from the road surface, and it’s like you’re skiing across an icy surface.
The best way to avoid this is to be prepared and armed with the knowledge of what to do if it does happen. Here, we’ve gathered knowledge from our experts to arm you with the information you need to stay safe.
What causes aquaplaning?
Aquaplaning occurs when the tyres on your car lose their grip on the road and begin ‘floating’ on a thin layer of water. It happens when you travel at speed in the wet, and your car’s tyres are not up to scratch.
The grooves in your car’s tyres are designed to remove water as you travel and maintain grip on the road. When the grooves in the tyres are too worn – or there is simply too much water on the road, and you’re travelling too fast – your tyres can’t clear it as quickly, and the water builds up, causing the tyres to ‘float’ on the surface.
How do I stay safe?
The most important thing you can do to keep yourself safe is to slow down and make sure your tyres have plenty of tread on them. In Australia, the minimum tread depth is 1.5mm, but it’s highly recommended you don’t allow them to wear any lower than 3mm. You should also maintain the correct tyre pressure.
If aquaplaning does occur, stay in control and take caution to avoid braking too hard. Don’t panic and take your foot off the accelerator and keep steering in the direction you were already heading.
Most cars now have antilock brakes (ABS), enabling you to apply pressure to reduce speed slowly. Remember: don’t brake suddenly – do it gradually.
Your tyres will regain their grip on the road as your car slows.
- Your car tyre suddenly blows-out
There’s nothing quite like the sudden jolt of a car tyre blowout – suddenly, you’ve lost control and don’t know what to do.
What does a car tyre blowout feel like?
A tyre blowout is much worse than a puncture – it’s more like a small explosion hitting you while you’re driving. When one of your front tyres blows out, it will cause the car to suddenly pull towards the side where the tyre has blown. With a rear-tyre blow-out, the car will sway uncontrollably from side to side.
Stay calm, be aware and ‘get a grip’.
Although your instinct will tell you to brake suddenly, you must avoid doing this at all costs. This can cause you to lose control of your car. To keep it under control, you need to slow down by easing your foot off the accelerator and gradually applying your brake. Keep a firm grip on the steering wheel, keeping the car heading straight ahead.
When you’ve reached a low speed, switch on your hazard lights and look for a safe place to pull over. Once safely stopped, don’t attempt to drive the car any further. Call for help if you need assistance getting the spare tyre on, or if you’re changing it yourself, make sure you’re well clear of any passing traffic.
What causes car tyre blowouts?
Underinflated tyres can cause excessive flexing in the sidewalls due to the lack of pressure keeping the tyre in shape. The constant flexing creates excessive friction and heat, which can weaken your tyre. Heat build-up inside a tyre can be exacerbated in hot weather. Even at a low air temperature, underinflated tyres are a major hazard on the road.
Also, when your car is under a heavier load than usual while travelling at a higher speed, it increases your chance of a blowout. Therefore, it’s essential to check the pressure and inspect the condition of your tyres before you set off with an extra load.
Look for cracks and bulges, and make sure there is adequate tyre tread. Also, hitting a kerb or pothole at a relatively high speed can cause an instant blow-out or inflict damage that can catch up with you later.
Age is also a factor! Even when a tyre looks good, the rubber deteriorates and weakens with age, making them unsafe and a blow-out more likely. Therefore, regardless of how much you drive on them, tyres should be changed approximately every five to seven years, even when there is still good tread left.
- The car collides with an animal
Driving around the stunning Australian landscape can be lots of fun. But there’s also an element of danger, as collisions with animals can be a risk when enjoying the roads.
From wild roos to livestock, an animal collision can occur almost anywhere. At higher speeds and on country roads, the force of the impact can be immense, leaving vehicle occupants vulnerable to devastating consequences.
How to spot a potential collision
To help avoid animal collisions, look out for the road signs warning that animals might be crossing roads in the area - and slow down in those areas where possible.
Animals tend to become more active at dawn and dusk, so it pays to be extra vigilant. And look out for roadside areas that may collect water, as these can attract animals.
You can also keep your headlights on high beam when there are no other cars around, as this will allow you to see reflections from animals’ eyes illuminated by the headlights.
What to do if a collision is unavoidable
If you see an animal on or by the side of the road, don’t swerve to avoid it. This can cause your car to roll over or crash into another vehicle or object, such as a tree, leading to life-threatening danger.
Instead, brake gradually and apply the brakes firmly but in a way that allows you to stay in control of the vehicle. If you stay on course, there’s a chance the animal will move out of your way before you hit it.
Remember, all animals on or near roads will act unpredictably, so don’t make any guesses.
After you’ve slowed down to a safe speed, put your hazard lights on and pull over well out of the way of any other vehicles.
Check on others in the car, assess the damage to the car and call for help. Don’t stand on or cross a road to check on an animal; doing this will put you in danger of being hit by another vehicle. An injured animal in a distressed state can also be a danger. To get help for the injured animal, call your local emergency vet or wildlife rescue.
Emergencies on the road can be daunting, but with the proper knowledge and preparation, you can confidently handle and survive them. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, you can be better equipped to handle car breakdowns, tyre blowouts, medical emergencies, and other unexpected situations while driving.
Remember to stay calm, assess the situation, and take appropriate action, prioritising your safety and that of your passengers. Additionally, regularly maintaining your vehicle, carrying essential tools and supplies, and knowing how to use them can go a long way in ensuring your preparedness on the road. By being proactive and prepared, you can confidently face any emergency while driving and keep yourself and others safe.
Drive safely, stay vigilant, and be prepared for the unexpected!
Did you already know what to do in these emergencies? Are there any situations we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
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